what to wear and do patients care?

[heathermed]

What do most people wear at the clinic and have you noticed any difference in the way patients interact with you or do they even care?
I currently wear scrubs predominantly but am trying to decide if I should try other things like more formal attire or a white coat when I'm out in private practice in a few months.

thanks

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[pastafan]

Depends on the day and whether I am doing procedures. I do wear a white coat most of the time over scrubs or slacks and dress shirt. Dated studies did show coat changes patient's perception favorably but I don't know if that is true today.

Most important is that you sit down at eye level while talking with patients. This has been studied and demonstrated that sitting does significantly affect the interaction. Patients perceive that you are spending more time, and are not acting rushed, if you are seated even if you do not spend any more time with them versus standing.

 

[BobBarker]

I wear dress clothes, no tie, no whitecoat. I feel you need to dress nicely to distinguish yourself from the many non physician staff wearing scrubs and white coats nowadays. But a lot of that is how you carry yourself as well.

 

[Stim4me]

Slacks. Sweater. New Kobe Bryant sneakers...bad plantar fasciitis.

 

[AlphaBeta<3]

What do most people wear at the clinic and have you noticed any difference in the way patients interact with you or do they even care?
I currently wear scrubs predominantly but am trying to decide if I should try other things like more formal attire or a white coat when I'm out in private practice in a few months.

thanks

You're never fully dressed without a smile

 

[deleted185747]

 

[DOctorJay]

I only wear the white coat if I'm wearing scrubs. Otherwise sport coat, button down shirt, and dress pants. No more ties.


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[BobBarker]

Button downs are great. Brooks Brothers has sales frequently and the shirts last 2-3 years and are fairly wrinkle resistant.

 

[bedrock]

Mostly agree with dr jay.
Dress pants, button down dress shirt. No tie ever again for me, except for interviews.
Agree that a sport coat looks good but more bulky to wear and always in the way with in-office procedures or getting rubbed on multiple patients spreading infection like a tie does.

I always roll up my dress shirt sleeves to just below the elbows, everyday, so nothing ever touches a patient that can't be treated with hand sanitizer.

If I wear scrubs then I pair it with a white coat so I don't look like my RNs, MAs.....

 

[lobelsteve]

Me in a suit: weddings, funerals, court appearances.

 

[jonnylingo]

I only wear the white coat if I'm wearing scrubs. Otherwise sport coat, button down shirt, and dress pants. No more ties.


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Same.

 

[Ligament]

I wear scrubs every day. No white coat. I don't think patients care. I do procedures all day, it makes sense.

But I'm in the PNW where nobody dresses up even for weddings or funerals.

 

[powermd]

Slacks and a tucked in polo with a belt. Smart-looking but doesn't get in the way of procedures, and a minimal dry cleaning bill.

Scrubs are comfortable and convenient, but there are a few reasons why I choose not to wear them at work. 1) I think scrubs enforce a message of "I'm different from you" in the eyes of the patient. In some specialties this is a good thing (think life-saving specialties, vanity specialties), but in a a quality of life specialty like ours I think it works to our advantage to look more like normal people. 2) Scrubs do nothing to distinguish you from all the other medical personnel who wear the same thing, even the MAs and janitors. 3) Scrubs "scrub" you of your individual identity by eliminating personal expression in your appearance. I wore scrubs for about a year in my first pain job and I was very comfortable, but felt like a commodity in my clothes. I think this is probably a major reason OR personnel cared enough to buy personalized hats (before hospitals started banning them). Individual expression in appearance does something important for people.

 

[Stim4me]

Slacks and a tucked in polo with a belt. Smart-looking but doesn't get in the way of procedures, and a minimal dry cleaning bill.

Scrubs are comfortable and convenient, but there are a few reasons why I choose not to wear them at work. 1) I think scrubs enforce a message of "I'm different from you" in the eyes of the patient. In some specialties this is a good thing (think life-saving specialties, vanity specialties), but in a a quality of life specialty like ours I think it works to our advantage to look more like normal people. 2) Scrubs do nothing to distinguish you from all the other medical personnel who wear the same thing, even the MAs and janitors. 3) Scrubs "scrub" you of your individual identity by eliminating personal expression in your appearance. I wore scrubs for about a year in my first pain job and I was very comfortable, but felt like a commodity in my clothes. I think this is probably a major reason OR personnel cared enough to buy personalized hats (before hospitals started banning them). Individual expression in appearance does something important for people.

Sounds like no boarding/private school for your kiddos....

 

[powermd]

Sounds like no boarding/private school for your kiddos....

I don't have strong feelings about school uniforms, but I do see benefits to the practice. Kids have enough social distractions at school without having to compete with each other on dress.

 

[melancholy]

i was wearing button down formal shirt, slacks, tie, and dress shoes for the first 6 months of practice I think. Then I let the tie go.

When i had one trial of doing fluoro injections in our schedule, i wore scrubs that day and forgot how nice it was to wear them. i decided to just start wearing scrubs and no one said anything. i still wear them today and think it is the best thing i've done to be more comfortable at work. I don't have to market, but we do get very standardized details on patient satisfaction surveys quarterly, so i will see how the next few quarters go since i started wearing scrubs. It does make me feel more relaxed and almost down to earth with patients which I think is a good thing. Plus, no one else around me wears them and I do the most injections here, so I have no problems with "standing out" against others haha.

 

[Yo GabbaPentin]

 

[Extralong]

One time I wore a suit and a dress shirt without a collar... I thought it looked kind of trendy, and I was pretty stoked about it...got mistaken for a priest several times. Now I just wear either scrubs or a suit depending the amount of procedures I have that day.

 

[freddydpt]

In medical school I rotated with a PCP in Washington, DC. He wore a Hawaiian pattern shirt, and either shorts or jeans every day. If I ever own my own practice, that's what I'm wearing. For now, I wear scrubs.
Btw, that DC practice had 2 golden shepherds roaming around for fun and each exam room was themed i.e. Disney, Marilyn Monroe, etc. Waiting area had a lot of knick knacks on that wall including neon signs. People enjoyed coming to the doctor. It was fun. I wore jeans and a button down shirt, but not tucked in... those were the days

 

[Stim4me]

In medical school I rotated with a PCP in Washington, DC. He wore a Hawaiian pattern shirt, and either shorts or jeans every day. If I ever own my own practice, that's what I'm wearing. For now, I wear scrubs.
Btw, that DC practice had 2 golden shepherds roaming around for fun and each exam room was themed i.e. Disney, Marilyn Monroe, etc. Waiting area had a lot of knick knacks on that wall including neon signs. People enjoyed coming to the doctor. It was fun. I wore jeans and a button down shirt, but not tucked in... those were the days

Back when the doctor patient relationship mattered... Imagine doing that as a hospital based provider. Ask your nurse manager for approval first...
You can wear dark jeans with a sweater no problem.

 

[melancholy]

One time I wore a suit and a dress shirt without a collar... I thought it looked kind of trendy, and I was pretty stoked about it...got mistaken for a priest several times. Now I just wear either scrubs or a suit depending the amount of procedures I have that day.

i recall after work when i was wearing a dress shirt and slacks that occasionally i'd get stopped by customers at Target asking me where to find stuff

 

[BobBarker]

I have some sale bills from my family ranch's heyday framed and on the walls. One is an auction where my great uncles sold over 500 mother cows and another where they sold over 1000. Patient's ask if those were my cows and I point out the years - 1959 and 1966.

 

[nvrsumr]

Scrubs. Since we are bringing dogs into the mix i have had Titan-a great pyrenees "therapy dog" in the office since day one. He is way more popular than me.

 

[hyperalgesia]

I think all the things mentioned are equal to a patient. Scrubs are absolutely fine. They are professional as long as they're neat and clean. Scrubs can't help that they're comfortable. A suit is equal to scrubs in terms of image in my opinion. You could certainly overdo a suit. Any kind of fashion statement is not appropriate and betrays your pitiful insecurities.

I had a pt once complain to me about another doc's attire. He said the doc was wearing shorts and flip flops and "seemed like he was somewhere else" and can I recommend a different pulmonologist.

 

[NJPAIN]

Once upon a time I wore slacks and a button down. As reimbursement decreased and the cost of dry cleaning increased I went to scrubs. If revenue continues to drop I will switch to an adult diaper and a pajama top that I change weekly.


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[Jcm800]

Once upon a time I wore slacks and a button down. As reimbursement decreased and the cost of dry cleaning increased I went to scrubs. If revenue continues to drop I will switch to an adult diaper and a pajama top that I change weekly.


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i used to wear scrubs. Now its a tuxedo. it sends the right kind of message. Although my stupid top hat keeps getting knocked off by the fluoro… plus my walking stick and monocle provide safety in the event of attack.

 

[Ducttape]

with all those problems, you should consider this:

even has your local anesthesia needle in one hand, the 22 g 3 foot needle in the other...

 

[Yo GabbaPentin]

Once upon a time I wore slacks and a button down. As reimbursement decreased and the cost of dry cleaning increased I went to scrubs. If revenue continues to drop I will switch to an adult diaper and a pajama top that I change weekly.


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If I did that, my staff would confuse me for my patients.

 

[GH253]

Just don't wear a stethoscope around your neck.

 

[Extralong]

Just don't wear a stethoscope around your neck.

But stethoscopes look so awesome. I do hate it when it chafing happens around the neck from wearing my stethoscope all day and all night long, especially when I go to bed with it on, reminding me that I am a physician.